Weighing-machine



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1., P. H. RICHARDS.

WEIGHING MACHINE". I

No. 568,587; Patented'Sept. 29, 1896? Witness es: In aen tor-n- (NoModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. H. RICHARDS.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 29 1896.

Fig. 1

Witnesses:

PATENT rricn.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

WElGHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,587, datedSeptember 29, 1896.

Application filed June 20, 1896. Serial No. 596,291. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWVeighing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to weighing-machines, and particularly to thatclass of weighingmachines adapted for automatically and continuouslyweighing out predetermined quantities of grain or other relativelyfreeflowing materials, and in which two connected valves, one a mainvalve and the other a supplemental valve carried by the main valve, areprovided for controlling the flow of the stream into a bucket orload-receptacle, the object being to provide means for positivelylocking the supplemental valve against opening when in its closedposition and for preventing the release, when the supplemental valve isopen, of a member shiftable for discharging the bucket-load.

My present invention is especially designed and intended as animprovement on the weighingmachine described and claimed in my PatentNo. 548,840, granted October 29, 1895, and on my other patents, No.548,850, granted October 29, 1895, and No. 559,208, granted April 26,1896, the first of which patents shows an automatic weighing-machine ofthe single-chambered type, having interlocking mechanism for positivelycontrolling the movements of a main valve and a shiftable member orcloser, and the last two of which represent a supplemental valve carriedby a main valve substantially similar to that represented in suchfirst-mentioned patent.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a weighing-machineembodying my present improvements and representing the valves open andthe stop-segment for controlling the discharge of the bucket-load lockedto prevent the discharge of the load. Fig. 2 is a similar view showingthe valves closed and the locking-segment released and thrown intoposition for preventing the opening of the Valves until the shiftablemember or loaddischarger of the bucket mechanism is returned to itsnormal position. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the upper portion ofsaid machine. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, on a smaller scale, of acomplete machine, the counterweighted valve-actuating lever not beingshown; and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the upper portion of the machine,looking from the opposite side thereof.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

My invention embodies, in connection with a shiftable member having aload-discharging movement for permitting the emptying of the loadWeighed by the machine, a pair of stream-controlling valves, oneconstituting a main valve and the other a supplemental valve carried bythe main valve and having a stream-controlling movement with respect tothe main valve, and means operative with the supplemental valveforlimitin g the movement of the shiftable member while such valve is inits open position, and my invention also contemplates the provision ofapair of mutually-dependent or reciprocally-effective means forpreventing the opening of the valves until the shiftable member is inits locked position and formaintaining the shiftable member latchedwhile the supplemental valve is open, said means constitutingvalveopening movement and load discharging movement limiters, the formeroperative with the shiftable member or closer and the latter with thesupplemental valve.

Although I have represented my present improvements in connection with aweighingmachine of the type illustrated in the patent first hereinbeforereferred to, it will be obvious that they are equally applicable toother forms of automatic weighing apparatus.

In the present instance the framework of the machine comprises two sideframes connected at their upper ends by a top plate or beam. These sideframes are designated herein by 2 and 4, respectively, and the top plateby 5. This top plate or beam is also represented as carrying the usualsupply spout or chute H for controlling the flow of the stream ofmaterial into the load-receiver or bucket.

The bucket, which is designated in a genoral way by G, is, as beforestated, of the single-chambered type, and is supported under the supplyspout or chute for receiving the material llowing therefrom into thevalves and thence into the bucket.

The main stream-controlling valve may be of any suitable construction,but is preferably substantially similar to the improved valve describedin Letters Patent No. 535,727, granted to me March 12, 1895, and isillustrated herein at 70 as carried for oscillatory movement by arms orbrackets 5, depending from the top plate 5, the pivot or axis ofmovement of the valve being designated by '70. This valve is shownlocated si'ibstantially below the mouth of the chute II and having itsaxis of movement passing through the stream of material flowingtherefrom, the bottom or pan of the valve being adapted to formalternately a support and a chute for the material issuing from thechute II. The valve is preferably balanced so as to have normally notendency either to open or close, the balan ee-weight being shown hereinas a shaft 00, extending from opposite ends of the main valve.

[For the purpose of actuating the valve to close the same I prefer toemploy a counterweighted valve'actuating lever 504:, having anantilriction-roll working against the face of a cam 500, depending fromthe axis ot' the valve 70, the construction of these parts beingsubstantially similar to that represented in Patent No. 5-l8,8l23,granted to me October 20, 1895.

For opening the valve any suitable mechanism may be employed, forinstance, that described and claimed in the Letters Patent lirsthereinbefore referred to, in which a valve actuating rod-such as 55Sisrepresented as operated by the return of the beam mechanism (hereindesignated in a general way by B) on the return of the bucket to itsnormal position after discharging its contents.

As will be obvious by reference to letters Patent No. 548,850,hereinbetore mentioned, the supplemental valve, which is illustrated at72, is operative for controlling the dripstream supplied to the bucketafter the principal portion of the load has been made up by the materialpassing through the main valve 70. This supplemental valve is shownherein carried at the forward or discharge edge of the main valve foroscillation thereon relatively thereto, and is also represented havingconnected thereto in the rear of its axis 0:1. movement "3 a link 81,secured to a rock-arm S0, lixed 011 the shaft 72, which forms the axisof movement of the valve 72. This link is, in turn, illustratedpivotally connected with the free end of a rock-arm 83, secured to aloeselymounted rock-shaft 8ft, carried concentric with the axis of themain valve 70, the left-hand end of said rock-sha3ft being representedin the drawings mounted in the journaled end of the left-hand trunnionor stud, which forms the center of support for the main valve at one endthereoi', while the opposite end of said rock-shaft is illustratedcarried in a corres 'iendingjournal-opening in one side wall of the mainvalve. A second rock-arm .is shown at 85, secured to the rock-shaft Set,this arm being in the nature of a cam constituting a stop orload-diseharging-movement limiter J12, operative with the supplementalvalve and adapted to cooperate with a corresponding stop or rocker 550,coi'itrolling the release of the shiftable member or load-discharger L.

The rocker is substantially similar to that illustrated in my Patent No.5 1$,S-l0, it being pivotally connected with a connectingrod 596 forholding the bucket discharger or closer locked, and this rocker has alockingface 1-13, cooperative with the iaees iii and 1-12 of the stopall? and constitutes a valveopening-movement limiter for preventing theopening movement of the supplemental valve and of the main valve whenthe parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 2.

The rocker 550 is represented having the usual detent- 550, adapted tobe engaged by a latch. 82 when the closer is shut and the valves areopen, the construction and operation of all of these devices being well.understood. Moreover, astop is represented provided at 723 on the mainvalve for limiting the throw of the supplemental valve in clesing, andthe operation of this stop will also be obvious.

From the COHStl'llCtlOll oi the valve mech' anism and the interlockingstops hereinbefore described it will be apparent that when both of thevalves are open and in the position shown in Figs 1 and lthe rocker 550will be prevented from turning by the abutment of the stop-face =tl2"against the end. ot' the rocker-face i153, and that when the load isnearly made up and the bucket descends the valve-closing actuator 50-lwill operate through the depending cam 500 to close the main valve in amanner well understood in. this art.

Any suitable meanssueh as the depending cam 506, cooperating with anantifrictionroller at the end of a rock-arm 507, oscillating with thevalve 72 and about the axis thereot---- may be employed for actuatingthe supplemental valve to close the same; and for the purpose ofinsuring the positive movement of this valve to cut oil the drip-streamthe face ell?" of the stop 4-12 on the valve '70 is suitably curved, sothat when the rocker 550 oscillates it will ride over the cam-taco i152and throw the supplemental valve positively to the position shown inFig. 2, the step lid and the rock-arm 8-3 moving about the axis of themain valve and relatively to said valve 70, and said step 451.2 servingto look not only the supplemental valve but also the main valve againstopening movements while the rocker is in the position shown in Fig. 2.

It will be apparent that such a combination of devices as thathereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings of thisapplication, constitutes a very effective means for interlocking theoperations of the supplemental valve and the load-discharger and forrendering the same reciprocally effective during the weighing operation.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with a mainvalve, of a supplemental valve supported on the main valve for movementrelatively thereto; valveactuating means; a shiftable member having aload-discharging movement; and a load discharging-movement limiteroperative with the supplemental valve for limiting the movement of theshiftable member by the nonclosing of the supplemental valve.

2. The combination with an oscillatory 'main valve, of a supplementalvalve supported on the main valve for movement relatively thereto;valve-actuating means; a shiftable member having a load-dischargingmovement; and an oscillatory load-discharging-movement limiter operativewith the supplemental valve relatively to the main valve for limitingthe movement of the shift able member by the non-closing of thesupplemental valve.

3. The combination with a main valve, of a supplemental valve supportedon the main valve for movement relatively thereto; a shiftable memberhaving a load-discharging movement; and reciprocally effectivevalveopening -movement and load dischargingmovement limiters, the formeroperative with the shiftable member and the latter operative with thesupplemental valve.

4. The combination With a main valve, of a supplemental valve supportedon the main valve for movement relatively thereto; ac tuating means forclosing the main valve; a shiftable member having a load-dischargingmovement; and reciprocally-effective valveopening movement and load-dischargingmovement limiters, the former operative With the shiftablemember and the latter operative With the supplemental valve and havingmeans operative by the valve-opening-movement limiter for closing saidvalve on the release of the shiftable member.

5. The combination With a main valve, of a supplemental valve supportedon the main valve for movement relatively thereto; actuating means forclosing the main valve; a shiftable member having a load-dischargingmovement; and reciprocally-effective valveopeningmovement and loaddischargingmovement limiters, the former operative with the shiftablemember and the latter operative with the supplemental valve and havingconnections with said valve for closing the same and also having acam-face in position and adapted to be engaged by thevalve-openingmovement limiter on the release of the shiftable member, tothereby actuate the load-discharging-movement limiter and close thesupplemental valve.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS. Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, GEO. A. HOFFMAN.

